You will find the current OJS development roadmap below. Please note that these dates are not fixed. Active OJS development follows three development branches: a 'stable' 2.4.x line which includes mainly bugfixes and will be an easy, painless upgrade for existing users of the current release (and who do not need much in the way of new features); a 'development' line (no releases currently available), which will become the next stable branch; and the 'master' git repository, which includes large-scale changes in the underlying codebase as well as many new features, and is not yet released for production use.

+

+

While we do attempt to list all bugs tracked against a given release, quite often a bug report against one release will be ported to another (this is especially the case with 2.3.x bugfixes into the master branch; less so with 2.4 enhancements into the stable branch). This is also the case with some bugs tracked against other applications such as Open Conference Systems. You are encouraged to browse [http://pkp.sfu.ca/bugzilla our Bugzilla database] fully. Bug entries are typically filed against the version in which the new code is expected to be released.

+

+

==Milestone 3.0 ('''Q1 2014''')==

+

+

This proposed release will be the first release to include user interface and software design backporting from the initial release of OMP. Much of the new functionality used by OMP is already in the shared PKP WAL, but there are numerous parts of that framework not yet used by OJS, such as the JavaScript framework.

+

+

OJS 3.0a and 3.0b will be used to perform UI/UX testing, acceptance testing, and other assessments, leading to a 3.0 release that will be remarkably different from the long-standing 2.x line. It will likely be launched without the full breadth of the 2.x feature set, with the remainder to be re-introduced in follow-up releases. Other functional enhancements are currently under consideration for inclusion in this release.

+

+

* See [http://pkp.sfu.ca/node/1600 Modularization of PKP Systems] for details on the proposed modularization of PKP applications.

+

+

==Milestone 2.4.x ('''Ad-hoc scheduling''')==

−

==Proposed for Future Release==

+

Releases of OJS in the 2.4.x line will be made when necessary (e.g. based on security issues) or when desired (e.g. when enough minor fixes accumulate that the community will find them broadly useful). These releases are very limited in change scope to keep the testing and release processes to a minimum; for example, no translation updates are allowed for 2.4.x releases. The most important changes in each 2.4.x release are posted on the [http://pkp.sfu.ca/wiki/index.php/OJS_Recommended_Patches Recommended Patches] page.

−

'''<big>Less linear workflow</big>'''

+

The OJS 2.4.x line was flagged "stable" (taking on this designation from the previous 2.3.x line) as of the OJS 2.4.2 release. OJS 2.4.3 is the next scheduled OJS 2.4.x release, currently planned for September 2013.

−

* Less downloading and uploading req'd for workflow

+

−

* Possibility of using a single file for all workflow and tracking changes rather than submitting new files for each stage (perhaps with drag and drop, with copies left behind for documentation)

+

−

'''<big>Better support for pre-prints</big>'''

+

==Milestone 2.4 ('''Q3 2012''')==

−

* "In press" section for articles that are currently in holding for actual publication.

+

−

'''<big>Thesis Workflow Tool</big>'''

+

This release will include large-scale revamping of the PKP codebase, including the further abstraction of common code from all applications into the PKP WAL that began with the 2.3.0 line of releases; modularization of the remaining OJS codebase (so that components can be better mixed and matched in each application); and further overall code refinements. This release will set the stage for large-scale porting of OMP functionality (user interface improvements; flexible roles; etc.) in the subsequent 3.0 release.

−

* OJS as a thesis submission and tracking system.

+

−

* SFU Library has a project on the books to develop a more robust thesis workflow tool.

+

−

'''<big>Submission as single file</big>'''

+

==Milestone 2.3.x ('''Ad-hoc scheduling''')==

−

* Submission model might be made better by including the option to make a .pdf containing the article, all supplementary files and appropriate metadata. Advantages include no need to de-identify properties, and review document is a single document - no need to download all figures, supplementary documents, etc in order to review. Of course, letter to editor and other documents not for reviewers would need to be submitted not to be included.

+

−

'''<big>Miscellaneous</big>'''

+

Further releases in the 2.3.x line are not expected, but may be released should critical issues arise such as security vulnerabilities. The most important changes in each 2.3.x release are posted on the [http://pkp.sfu.ca/wiki/index.php/OJS_Recommended_Patches Recommended Patches] page.

* Allow reviewers to make additional comments after completing their review.

+

−

* Add a "email reviewer" icon to the editor interface for each submission. This would allow communication between the reviewer and the editor to take place within OJS and be captured in the History

+

−

* Allow Journal Managers to create customized email groups for sending out messages (i.e., they could create an email 'group', select the users to include, and then send to that group whenever required).

+

−

* Make the CSS and/or templates editable within the web admin interface -- see WordPress as an example

+

−

* Enabling specific reading tools at a section level - Submitted by Mark Weiler (mweiler@sfu.ca) - Currently, when reading tools are enabled, they are enabled for all the issues (current, future, past) in the entire journal. Thus, the decision to enable reading tools is global (affecting all sections) and is diachronical (affecting all past/present/future) issues. It would be useful feature if the journal manager or editor could create sections and specify what reading tools are enabled for those particular sections and even particular issues. With respects to the reader comments reading tool, this would allow editors to create innovative sections. For example, a journal may want to have a section that is unique in that editorial team actively seeks readers to add comments to the articles. Or a journal that is in the practice of enabling readers to comment for all sections, may wish to create a section that does not have reader comments enabled.

Revision as of 14:48, 29 April 2013

Contents

History

OJS Release History

Development Roadmap

You will find the current OJS development roadmap below. Please note that these dates are not fixed. Active OJS development follows three development branches: a 'stable' 2.4.x line which includes mainly bugfixes and will be an easy, painless upgrade for existing users of the current release (and who do not need much in the way of new features); a 'development' line (no releases currently available), which will become the next stable branch; and the 'master' git repository, which includes large-scale changes in the underlying codebase as well as many new features, and is not yet released for production use.

While we do attempt to list all bugs tracked against a given release, quite often a bug report against one release will be ported to another (this is especially the case with 2.3.x bugfixes into the master branch; less so with 2.4 enhancements into the stable branch). This is also the case with some bugs tracked against other applications such as Open Conference Systems. You are encouraged to browse our Bugzilla database fully. Bug entries are typically filed against the version in which the new code is expected to be released.

Milestone 3.0 (Q1 2014)

This proposed release will be the first release to include user interface and software design backporting from the initial release of OMP. Much of the new functionality used by OMP is already in the shared PKP WAL, but there are numerous parts of that framework not yet used by OJS, such as the JavaScript framework.

OJS 3.0a and 3.0b will be used to perform UI/UX testing, acceptance testing, and other assessments, leading to a 3.0 release that will be remarkably different from the long-standing 2.x line. It will likely be launched without the full breadth of the 2.x feature set, with the remainder to be re-introduced in follow-up releases. Other functional enhancements are currently under consideration for inclusion in this release.

Milestone 2.4.x (Ad-hoc scheduling)

Releases of OJS in the 2.4.x line will be made when necessary (e.g. based on security issues) or when desired (e.g. when enough minor fixes accumulate that the community will find them broadly useful). These releases are very limited in change scope to keep the testing and release processes to a minimum; for example, no translation updates are allowed for 2.4.x releases. The most important changes in each 2.4.x release are posted on the Recommended Patches page.

The OJS 2.4.x line was flagged "stable" (taking on this designation from the previous 2.3.x line) as of the OJS 2.4.2 release. OJS 2.4.3 is the next scheduled OJS 2.4.x release, currently planned for September 2013.

Milestone 2.4 (Q3 2012)

This release will include large-scale revamping of the PKP codebase, including the further abstraction of common code from all applications into the PKP WAL that began with the 2.3.0 line of releases; modularization of the remaining OJS codebase (so that components can be better mixed and matched in each application); and further overall code refinements. This release will set the stage for large-scale porting of OMP functionality (user interface improvements; flexible roles; etc.) in the subsequent 3.0 release.

Milestone 2.3.x (Ad-hoc scheduling)

Further releases in the 2.3.x line are not expected, but may be released should critical issues arise such as security vulnerabilities. The most important changes in each 2.3.x release are posted on the Recommended Patches page.